Research

Lubuto library collections are carefully curated, complete collections that continue to grow to reflect the needs of children in the specific communities served.

Elizabeth Giles—Lubuto's Training Librarian—conducted a research project evaluating Lubuto's collections and how they can better serve the community. Professor Genevieve Hart from the University of the Western Cape advised on the research methodology and Elizabeth was assisted in laying the groundwork for data collection in Zambia by Lisa Scudera.

Every community is different in terms of its needs, behaviors and preferences. Responsible library services are targeted to address the situations of real groups of people based on an understanding of their needs.Elizabeth Giles

Data collection began in June 2014 and is ongoing. The mixed-methods study comprised of interviews, focus groups and quantitative in-house use tracking has been undertaken for all three Lubuto libraries. The key research question asked was how children and youth are utilizing Lubuto collections, and what factors affect library use. Elizabeth presented preliminary findings to peers at IFLA'S World Library and Information Congress in Cape Town in August 2015. Since collecting and analyzing data, we are now working on developing a responsive core collection for African young people.